Koulutusalan yhteys yliopisto-opiskelijoiden poliittiseen orientaatioon

Authors

• TARU-projekti TARU-projekti

Abstract

This paper challenges the idea of the homogeneity of values among highly educated and explores the connection between the field of education of university students and their societal values and party choice. By embedding education into cleavage theories and theories of political socialization, the study compares the attitudes and party choice of students in different fields of education. The data is collected through internet survey questionnaire prior to the Finnish parliamentary elections 2015 in the University of Tampere (N = 1023) and it is analyzed by quantitative methods. The study shows that there is a clear connection between the student’s field of education and her sociocultural and international orientation even when controlling for sociodemographic characteristics and family background. However, the students are even more divided in their socioeconomic orientation. Accordingly, the party choice varies greatly according to the field of education, even after controlling for the party choice of the parents. The major conflict develops between left-wing liberal students of social sciences and humanities among whom vote Green League and Left Alliance are popular and socioeconomically right-wing students of economics and business administration and medical sciences among whom the National Coalition Party is popular.